It depends on the judge and the officer. If the officer does not appear for your trial date, then the ticket will be dismissed. In busy jurisdictions like Oakland where the police have better things to do than sit in traffic court, this happens quite often. If the officer appears and you are convicted of the traffic offense, then it depends on the judge and the impression you make. Some judges will be lenient on the theory that you have sacrificed a lot of your valuable time in traffic court, which should count towards the punishment. Other judges will be angry that you've wasted valuable court time.

If this is solely a money issue, than it is not worth hiring a lawyer. However, there are other issues - such as if you have a CDL - then it may be worth your while to hire someone. Good luck to you.